Letter-box.



. J. E. NORGORD.

LETTER BOX.

APPLICATION I'ILEI) MAY 7, 1908,

91 6,766. Patented Mar. 30, 1909v -;downward bend 12 45 JOHN E. NORGORD, OF ROGKDALE, WISCONSIN.

LETTER-BOX.

I fin Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Application filed ltay 7, 1908. Serial N 9. 431,868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. Nonconn, a citizen the United States, residing at Rockdale, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin. have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Letter-Boxes, of which the ibllowing is a specification.

This inventionrelates to letter-boxes for rural routes, and has for its object to provide it box of this kind with a receptacle for the out oing mail, which receptacle is connected "to tie door of the box in such a manner that it will be drawn out when said door is opened, thufl exposing the mail matter which is to-be collected" and thereby insuring its collection. In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a erspective view showing the box closed.

ig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig.3 is a vcross section. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the box open, the top being shown bi'oken away. 1 Re erring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes a rectangular box having at one end a door 6 provided with a handle 7. The door is hinged at 8 to the bottom of the box so that it will swing downwardly when it is opened. On the outside of the door. is swiveled as indicated at 9' a stem 10 carrying a visual signal device 11, and to the top of the box is pivoted a catch to, engage said stem for holdmg i't erect when the door. is vclosed. The catch comprises a pair of spring-fingers 12 between which the stem is placed. Upon removing the stem from between said fingers the signal device can be swung dovmwardl-y toindlcate to the owner of the box the once of mail matter therein. "The signal device is raised by the owner of the box if it contains mail matter to be collected and it islow'ered if the box is empty thus indicating to the carrier'the condition of the box. When the door is closed and the stem is held erect by the catch, said part's also serveto hold the door closed. One of the spring fingers has a V which engages the door tolhold'it closed when the signal device is swung down as stated.

To the side walls of the box on the inside thereof are secured brackets 13 on which is slidably mounted a shelf 14 which receives the mail-matter to be collected bythe carrier." The shelf is connected y links 15 to the door 6 such'a manner that whenthe spring to the shelf.

to indicate toflthe-owner'of the box t door is opened the shelf is withdrawn from the box, whereby the mail matter on the shelf will be exposed to the carrier'to insure its collection. he connection between thelinks 15 and the shelfq14 is made by means of ears 16 projecting from the bottom of the shelf, and these ears are located between the brackets 13 in order that said brackets may also serve as stops for limitin the movement of the door and the shelf, t e front bracket 13 pre- Venting the door-from being swung open too far, and the rear bracket 13 limiting the closingmovement of the door. carries a looped spring 17 for holding the mail matter thereon. The front end of the shelf is made recessed as indicated. at 18and the loo ed portion 19 of the spring extends across t iis recess which arrangement enables the spring to be more readily taken hold of and lifted to remove the mail from the shelf, and it also enables the carrierto more readily grasp the mail matter clamped by said The. shelf and the spring holding money, stamps, to'the carrier. By concanalso be used for etc., to be delivered nectin scribed the mail matter, etc., carried by the shelf will be exposed when the door is opened so that the carrier cannot fail to see the same. When the door is closed the shelf is thus 'leavin the niail'matter high and dry in all kinds of weather. The box is simple in construction and operation and i can be chea 1y manufacture-d. Ithasno complicated parts to get out of order, and will be at all timesin ,proper condition for use.

In use, the outgoing mail is de osited in the box bythe owner thereof and 6 is closed and the si the osition shown in'Fig. '1, thus indicating to-tiie carrier that the box contains mail to be collected. The box is opened by removing. the stem 10 from between the spring-fingers 12 and swinging the signal device downwardl ,after which the door can be opened and t e outgoing mail collected. The car rier then deposits in the box the mail matter for the owner thereof and closes the door, the signal. device-being left in lowered osition ence of mail matter therein. If no mailis March so, 1909.

The shelf 14- the shelf to the door as herein de-- the door al device 11 raised to a little distance from the back. of the door 1 epresde osited by thcs rriel' he will raise the sig-- I and a, eonnecticn between the shef -a rid. the

na device to indicate that fact'to the owner door, r V 10 of the box.- i In testunony whereof I affix my signature,

1 01mm: 1n presence of two wltnesses.

The combination with a, mail-box and its I JOHN E. NURGORD. door, brackets inside the box, a shelf slidably I Witnesses: mounted on the brackets, av stc projection i C. O. ANDERSON,

on the shelf working between t e brackets, OTT ONSTAD. 

